The Tenderness of One Moment
by Dark Goddess1
Summary: GouGou Sentai Boukenger A Task 31 aftermath fic involving Sakura & Eiji. Sometimes all it takes to light a spark is a single moment.
1. One Moment

Title: "One Moment"

Author: Trinity-chan

Fandom: GouGou Sentai Boukenger

Pairing: Sakura Nishihori & Eiji Takaoka

Rating: PG-13 (for mentions of violence)

Author's Notes: Task 31. Sakura goes insane on behalf of Eiji after Gai nearly kills him. Wonderful stuff. YOU HAVE TO SEE IT!

Summary: Sometimes all it takes to light a spark of attraction is one moment.

The memory replayed itself in her mind several times and would never quite leave. She remembered watching, horrified as Eiji reached out for her, before collapsing. She could have sworn she saw his lips mouth her name as he fell. She remembered running to him, screaming "Takaoka-san!"

She could hear Gai laughing. She remembered taking his bloody hand. She'd thought he was dying. She remembered the anger, the rage boiling up inside of her. She remembered going after the Quester as though Eiji had just been murdered.

And once she'd calmed down, she still felt things. Things she thought she'd only feel for Satoru. She suddenly realized something. But it wasn't possible.

Was she…falling for Eiji?

She pondered this as she ate her parfait, her mind wandering back to thoughts of him. She wondered if Eiji ever took the time to enjoy sweets…or life.

_I should bring Eiji here one day. _ She thought. _Maybe he'll enjoy himself._

She paused and placed her hand over her heart. It was pounding so hard she felt as though it was burst through her ribcage. When did she stop thinking of him as "Takaoka-san" and start thinking of him as "Eiji"? And where were these funny feelings coming from?

Eiji laid in bed in the hospital, quietly munching on a stalk of celery, lost in thought. He'd been told about Sakura kicking Gai and Rei's asses like it was judgment day and he'd wished he could have seen it for himself. It sounded awesome.

_One certainly does get more than one bargained for with her_. Eiji thought. _She can take care of herself, she's tough…and she's beautiful._ He stopped mid-chew when the thought about Sakura's beauty. He wasn't used thinking of women that way. Heck, he wasn't used to thinking of women, period. But, he had to start. If he was to continue the Takaoka line, he would need a wife to bear him an heir. He'd never thought about such things before, but his near death on the battlefield made him rethink everything. He dimly remembered hearing Gai crow about how he ended the Takaoka line and how angry that made him. _And who will I pass my knowledge of Ashu onto if I don't have a child?_ He thought, his heart speeding up.

Sakura, based on the way he'd heard she'd owned the Questers and how she'd handled herself before seemed like the most likely candidate. But could he really ask her to give up her life to be with him, to live as an Ashu watcher? That was too much to ask of anyone, much less a beautiful, confident, cool-headed young woman like Sakura.

_Takaoka, get a hold of yourself! Sakura doesn't like you that way. She'll never see you that way._ He thought, his hope failing and his heart dropping into his chest. _Just face it. You're doomed to live and die alone. Sure, you have friends now, but what if you become an Ashu again? They'll all leave you, Sakura included_. Eiji gave his celery another nibble. _So much for an heir…and a wife._

Eiji shook his head. It really was too much to hope for. Sakura came along with him because she didn't trust him to go alone, but she'd offered him painkillers and water and showed that she'd cared for him. He could see the ice around her melt and he began to feel something. But, she liked Satoru, even if she wouldn't admit it. She'd never see him in the same way…would she?

The Dazzling Adventurer paused and looked into the mirror opposite his bed. "Will Sakura ever see me as anything other than a monster?" he asked himself, almost convinced that he could see his Ashu side instead of his own.

The walk back to the museum seemed longer than usual for Sakura, who seemed lost in thought. She had long since admitted to herself that her crush on Satoru was never going to go anywhere and that Satoru's true love was adventuring. There was no room for a woman in his life. So, Sakura had squashed her feelings, like she usually did and retreated behind her frigid mask, where she felt safest.

And then today came and she could feel those feelings being dragged up from the depths, only they weren't directed at Satoru anymore. Now, she was feeling things for Eiji. She thought about how lonely he must have been, wandering the earth without any friends or family. It sort of sounded like her life. She'd been lonely, too, even with her parents and within the special forces. She'd never felt that close to anyone, never close enough for her to express what was in her heart. But she had to admit that she'd felt closer to Eiji in those few hours than she had with ANY of the other Boukengers.

She'd felt close enough to open up her heart, even if it was just a little. She could even forgive him for his behavior to her earlier. She understood him better now and understood that he wasn't used to rules and regulation. Even if she was a bit offended, she had to admit, seeing him upset was kind of hot.

A flush crawled up into her cheeks. She'd never thought of a man like that before. She shook her head.

_Get a grip, Sakura! _She thought. _Eiji's practically a monster! And he's your comrade…and he doesn't like you_. The Deep Adventurer shook her head in a hopeless attempt to clear it. _But he's not really a monster…I'm sure he has control over his Ashu side now, and surely he must have felt something today. _

She could remember her feelings so clearly. Grief, sorrow, rage and affection. She would not have been able to do what she'd done if she had not come to care for Eiji. She remembered them reaching out for each other. He HAD to have felt something.

Without thinking, Sakura broke into a run, hoping that her gut wasn't wrong. She wasn't going to make a fool of herself, she just wasn't!

Eiji sighed and swallowed his pride. He would never know how she felt if he never asked. And the worst that could happen was for her to say that she wasn't interested. Yanking himself up and throwing on his jacket, Eiji hobbled out of the room, intending to find Sakura. Suddenly, he saw a pink SGS jacket-clad body run into the courtyard.

Taking a chance, he forced his body to its limit and ran as much as he could, intending, for the first time in his life, to open up his heart.

They finally caught up with each other right smack in the middle of the museum's main entranceway.

Eiji spotted Sakura at the exact moment she spotted him.

"Eiji!" She cried, forgetting herself.

"Sakura!" he responded, not caring who heard.

Sakura, not caring, not thinking, all swept up in her passion, and didn't even pause to consider what she was about to do. "Eiji, I…I…" _Nishihori, this is NO time for hesitation!_ "I LIKE YOU!" There. She'd said it.

Eiji smiled and limped towards her, refusing to stop until he was right in front of her.

"You're hurt." She remarked.

"It's nothing." He panted. "And, I like you, too."

Sakura smiled for a moment, but it was short lived as Eiji began to fall and she caught him, supporting her with as much of her weight as she could.

Their eyes met and another moment passed between them.

Without thinking or caring who saw them, Sakura leaned her head in and kissed him deeply, throwing her heart into it.

Eiji chuckled against her lips and struggled to run one hand through her hair.

They were like that for what seemed like forever, finally happy to have someone. The someone they'd always dreamed of having.

Sometimes, all it takes to light a spark is a single moment.


	2. Tenderness

Title: "Tenderness"

Author: Trinity-chan

Fandom: GouGou Sentai Boukenger

Pairing: Eiji Takaoka & Sakura Nishihori

Rating: PG

Summary: Sakura tends to Eiji's wounds and they begin their relationship.

Spoilers: Task 31

Author's Notes: Takes place after the end of "One Moment"

Eiji winced as he lay back in his hospital bed and plopped his head against the pillow. "Thank you, Sakura." He murmured as Sakura pulled the covers over his wounded body.

She gave him a rare smile. "You're welcome." He had to strain to hear her. She ran her hand over his forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Her touch was gentle and soft and to Eiji, she smelled like the flower that shared her name and with just a hint of roses.

"So…" he began, remembering the scene from earlier in which they'd confessed their feelings to each other and kissed.

It might as well have happened right then and there, it was so clear in his mind. He remembered her supporting him with her weight. Their eyes had met and then she was leaning in and pressing her lips against his. It had been absolutely perfect. He could smell her floral scent and feel the softness of her lips while he'd ran his hand through the black silk of her hair. In those few heartbeats in which their lips touched, the whole world vanished and the only things that he was aware of was the sound of his wildly beating heart, the smell, the feel and the very reality of Sakura being there with him and her petal soft lips. It was better than his wildest fantasies.

Sakura nodded, touching her lips, remembering that it was Eiji against her, their lips locked in a soft kiss. He'd smelled of nature, something woodsy and heady and it made her head spin. To her, their kiss was the fulfilling of her most wonderful romantic fantasies. It was like a dream come true.

"What next?" She asked.

Eiji looked at her. "I don't know." He admitted. "I've never been with a woman before."

Sakura wasn't really surprised. Eiji had spent his life wandering the islands in search of Ashu. Such a life doesn't prepare one for living among people, especially people of the opposite sex. He probably had no idea of how to court a woman. But, that was okay. She had no idea how to court a man. So, their relationship, whatever came of it, would be a learning experience they would both share together.

The Dazzling Adventurer looked thoughtful for a moment. "I feel I should know. I mean, I never thought about it before, but I don't want the Takaoka line to end with me. That means I'll need a wife…and an heir." He quickly looked at Sakura.

The Deep Adventurer seemed to understand. The day's events had forced Eiji to think about things that he hadn't thought about before and judging by his comment, she guessed that he'd begun to think about his future.

"And you've never thought about children before?" She asked.

"Never thought I would ever get the chance to think about children or wives," Eiji confessed, sounding unsure of himself. "It's not like it's something I've always thought about. I figured that I would destroy the Ashu and THEN, I would think about my future and then…I met you."

"And I suppose we sort of threw a monkey wrench into your plans." Sakura supplied, a tiny smile on her face.

Eiji raised his eyebrow. "Serves all of you right for not listening to me when I said not to mess around with the Mirror of Ashu. Don't ever think that I don't know what I'm talking about when I talk about Ashu."

Sakura was a little embarrassed at the memory. "Well, you did show up out of nowhere and tell us that we'd die if we messed with the mirror…and now that I think about it, you were right."

Now if Eiji had been back to his borderline arrogant self, he would have smirked. But he was lost in thought, wondering about what life would have been like had the Boukengers not forced themselves into his life. "I wouldn't have met Sakura, that's for sure." He murmured to himself.

He was yanked out of his thoughts by the feeling of Sakura placing her hand on his arm. It was a subtle touch, but her skin was soft and warm and the warmth seemed to spread throughout Eiji's body and it made his heartbeat race. "I'm actually glad we didn't listen." Sakura said. "You are a valuable asset to our team."

Eiji looked down at Sakura's hand and then back at her. Her eyes were kind and warm and he was filled with an urge to kiss her again.

Sakura let her hand stay where it was as she continued to speak. She decided to turn this conversation back to where it had originally begun. "Well, then I suppose our relationship will be a learning experience, since neither of us know what we're doing."

"Aren't there books on the subject?" Eiji asked. "I mean, I'm not big on reading, but I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to read up on how to date a woman." He paused. "Did that make any sense to you?"

Sakura nodded. "I don't want it to be a secret, though."

"Why?" Eiji asked. "I would think that the Deep Adventurer wouldn't want anyone to know that she's carrying on with a fellow Boukenger."

"Well, I don't want to keep it a secret, because that means lying to our friends and I'm not a liar." She stroked his face gently. "But, I do have an idea as to where we can go for a first date."

"Where?" Eiji asked.

Sakura smiled. "Tell me something, Eiji…have you ever had a parfait?"


End file.
